By Gemma Q. Casas
Variety News Staff

AN unannounced power outage hit parts of Garapan and nearby villages for the second day in a row yesterday after another engine at power plant 4 malfunctioned.
Commonwealth Utilities Corp. Spokeswoman Pamela Mathis said a 2.2-megawatt engine went down shortly before noon, leaving parts of Garapan up to Microl in San Jose without electricity until 12:53 noon.
She said there are 10 small engines at power plant 4 and each one has been used to exhaustion.
“There’s too much demand for energy. The 2.2-megawatt engine went down around 11:04 a.m. (on Thursday). It’s exhaust system had to be replaced,” she said.
On Wednesday, Valentine’s Day, an unannounced blackout also occurred in Garapan.
Mathis clarified that the faulty engine that day wasn’t located at power plant 1 — the main source of electricity in Saipan — but at power plant 4.
She said all of the engines are working beyond their designed capacity, increasing their chances of breaking down due to exhaustion.
“The engines work on a 24-hour capacity every day. They are overworked,” she said.
CUC has begun moves to privatize its power plants in Saipan. It issued a prequalification request for proposals for potential bidders interested in taking over power plant operations.